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Which states require gun buyers to have firearm training?

9 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

California has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Delaware has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Florida has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Illinois has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Maine has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Maryland has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Montana has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

New York has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Oregon has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Texas has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Utah has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Virginia has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Washington has adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

These state policies ensure that gun buyers know the safety basics for handling and using firearms, and they provide an intervention point to educate future gun owners about secure storage and carrying in public. All of these states require training for handguns, while several state laws apply to long guns as well.  The strongest systems also include live-fire instruction. A full discussion on Gun Owner Safety Training is here. 

The Impact

In a self-defense experiment involving a firearm simulator, people with less training and experience performed worse — and many accidentally “shot” innocent bystanders or unarmed people.

Training Required to Purchase Guns

Policy adopted?
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Cal. Penal Code §§ 31610—31670; Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-36f, 29-37p; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-2; Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 5-117.1; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 131P; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-3.c; 11 R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-35(a)(1), (b)(1), (c); Wash. Rev. Code § 9.41.090(1)(a), Washington House Bill 1143 (2023), sec. 2.

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